Chicken Mandi

1. Clean and cut the chicken; marinate briefly with salt, turmeric and a little oil.

2. Rinse and soak basmati rice 20–30 minutes.

3. In a large pot, heat ghee/oil. Fry chopped onion until golden. Add minced garlic and green chillies and fry 1–2 min.

4. Add whole spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves) and ground spices (coriander, cumin). Stir until fragrant.

5. Add chicken pieces, brown lightly and add enough water/chicken stock to cover. Simmer until chicken is nearly cooked.

6. Remove chicken; measure remaining liquid and add soaked rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and cook rice until almost done.

7. Return the chicken to the rice pot on top, cover tightly and steam on low for 10–15 min so flavors meld.

8. (Optional) For authentic smoky aroma: heat a small charcoal until red hot, place it on a small foil cup in the centre of the pot, add a tsp of butter/oil on the coal then cover immediately to trap smoke for 5–10 minutes. Remove coal.

9. Garnish with fried onions, chopped coriander and serve with chutney or raita.